Warning signal devices



June 16, 1959 P. H. GRIFFITH WARNING SIGNAL DEVICES 3 Sheets-Sheet l v INVEZNTOR. Pay/16f 5/7/77277 BY X p ATTORNEYS.

Filed June 27, 1955 June 16, 1959 P. H. GRIFFITH 2,890,523

WARNING SIGNAL DEVICES Filed June 27, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 FJG 6 1] BY (2M8! A TTORNEYS.

June 16, 1959 P. H. GRIFFITH 2,890,623

WARNING SIGNAL DEVICES Filed June 27, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 3 i 10 li llllilg 10g [6e ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent v 2,890,623 WARNING SIGNAL DEVICES Paul H. Griflith, Narbeth, Pa. Application June 27, 1955, Serial No. 518,319

Claims. (Cl. 88-78) This invention relates to warning signals of the reflector lens type (as distinguished from fusees or flares, or lamps) adapted to be placed, by motorists or truckers along highways in the vicinity of stalled or disabled vehicles at night, to apprise by light reflection, oncoming drivers of the emergency.

The chief aim of my invention is to provide a warning device of the kind referred to which is of simple construction and collapsible for convenience of storage in a small space in the trunk of an automobile or motor truck normally, and of which the reflector lens or lenses are so mounted and arranged as to be, vibrated by prevailing wind currents or by wind currents set up by passing vehicles as beams from the head lights of approaching vehicles impinge upon them.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a warning signal device conveniently embodying my invention in one form.

Fig. 2 shows the device of Fig. 1 in front elevation.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views in section taken as indicated respectively by the angled arrows IIIIH and IV--IV in Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of two modified embodiments of my invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of another modified embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows VIII-VIII in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing another modification.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows X--X in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an elevational view which in turn, is similar to Fig. 7 and shows still another modified embodiment; and

Fig. 12 is a horizontal sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows XII-XII in Fig. 11.

With more specific reference first more particularly to Figs. 1-4 of these illustrations, the warning signal of my invention there exemplified, comprises a support which includes an open quadrangular frame 1 whereto is hingedly connected at the bottom corners as at 2, a U- shaped base member 3. When turned to the position of Fig. 1 the base member 3 serves to sustain the frame upright at a slight rearward inclination to the vertical, this position of the frame being determined by contact of outwardly offset lugs 5 at the sides 6 thereof with the top edges of the leg portions 7 of said base member 3. The frame 1 and the base member 3 may be fashioned from metal or other suitably stiff material. As will be readily apparent, the device can be collapsed for convenience of storage in a small space by turning the base component 3 clockwise on the hinge connections 2 about the frame 1 incident to which the lugs 5 are cleared by the edge notches 8 in the leg portions 7 of said base component. The top bar 9 and a central transverse bar 2,890,623 Patented June 16, 1959 10 of the frame 1 have pendent ears 11 and 12 medially thereof between which pivot pins 13 and 14 extend. Freely suspended from the pivot pins 13 and 14 are lense carriers 15 and 16 in which relatively flat red discoid reflector lenses 17 and 18 are mounted respectively. These lenses may be of glass or plastic, and preferably their surfaces are either broken up, or they have incorporated grids that provide multitudinous reflecting facets of small area, as conventionally indicated in the drawings. The lens carriers 15 and 16 are provided at opposite side edges With fins 19 and 20 respectively which,.in this instance, are all inclined in the same direction. In practice, at least three of the devices are intended to be set up on the highway, one adjacent the side of the stalled or disabled vehicle and one at a substantial distance from each end of such vehicle. By action of prevailing wind currents or by wind currents created by passing vehicles upon the fins 19 and 20, the lens carriers 15 and 16 are swung laterally on the pivot connections 13 and 14, and are restricted to oscillations of small amplitude by the sideportions 6 of the frame 1 which act as stops as shown in dash and dot lines in Fig. 2. As the rays from the head lamps of oncoming vehicles strike the lenses 17 and 18 at night, the reflected light is broken up by the facets of the lenses and, due to oscillation of the latter, a scintillating effect is created by which the effectiveness of the signal is rendered more conspicuous.

For use of the device in the day time, vertically aligned holes 21 and 22 are provided respectively in the top and medial bars 9 and 10 of the frame 1 for insertion of the stem of a red warning flag (not illustrated).

The modified device illustrated in Fig. 5 is identical with the first described device, except that here, the fins 20a of the lowermost lens carrier 16a are inclined oppositely to the fins 19 of the uppermost lens carrier 15.

Accordingly the lens carrier 16a is swung, by wind action, contrariwise relative to the lens carrier 15 to render the warning even more conspicuous.

In Fig. 6, the frame component 1 of the device is devoid of a medial cross bar, and the two lenses 17 and 18 are mounted, one above the other, in a single carrying member 15b which is provided at its opposite side edges with angularly directed fins 19b. Obviously in this in stance, the lenses 17 and 18 are oscillated in unison by action of wind currents upon the fins 19b.

In Figs. 7 and 8 the carriers 15c and are suspended respectively from pivots 13c and 14c for capacity to swing forwardly and rearwardly within the frame 1 and are provided at their bottoms, as instanced at 190, with fins to catch the wind, the swing of the carriers being restricted by stop lugs 60 on the sides 6 of said frame.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, the lens carriers 15d and 16d are arranged to swing on diametrally-arranged vertical axis pivots 13d and 14d within the frame 1 and are provided at one of their sides respectively with wind catching fins 19d and 20d, their swing being limited as in the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8 by stop lugs 6d on the sides 6 of the frame 1.

In the alternative embodiment of Figs. 11 and 12, the lens carriers 15a and 162 are arranged to swing on diametrally-arranged horizontal axis pivots 13e and 14e within the frame and respectively have along their hottoms wind catching fins such as instanced at 19e, their swing being limited by stop lugs 9e and 102 respectively on the top bar 9 of the frame and on the cross bar 10.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A warning signal device for use on highways comprising a combination including an open frame, support means supporting said open frame in an upright position, a plate-like lens carrier, pivot means freely suspending the lens carrier within said open frame, said pivot means including a pivot pin supported from said open frame a dpositioned transve sely of the plane of said frame, a light-reflecting lens mounted in the lens carrier, and fin means extending from said lens carrier for swinging said lens carrier about said pivot pin in response to wind forces to produce oscillations of said lens, c arrier in the plane of said frarne, .said frame acting as a ,stoprmeans to,restrict;the amplitude of said oscillations.

2. A warning signaltdevice for useton highways comprising a combinationincluding anopen frame whichincludes=side portions of predetermined thickness to;for rn a plane therebetween, support means supporting said open frame in an upright position, a plate-like lens carrier, pivot means freely suspending the lens carrier -Within said open frame, said pivot means including a pivot pin positioned with .itstaxis in ;said :plane and supported from said frame, a light-reflecting .lens mounted in the lens carrier, fin-means swinging said lens-carrier about said pivot pindn response to windlforces to produce oscillations f .said lens carrier, and ;means' restricting the amplitude of said oscillations in the directiontransverse tosaid plane thereby creating a flickering light reflection.

3. A warningsignal device for useon highways comprising a combination includingan open frame of predeterminedthickness having side members joined together at their ends by transverse members to form ,a plane therebetween, support means supporting saidtopenfframe in .an upright position, said support means including a U-shaped frame hinged at-its-openend to said open frame so as; to fold therewith to form acompact package when closed andso as tozopenup to form a.support, ,a platelike lens carrier, pivot means .freely suspending the'lens carrier -within said open frame,.said pivot means including a pivot pin positioned with its axis in said plane and supported from said frame, a light-reflecting lens mounted in the lens carrier, fin means swinging said lens carrier about said pivot pin in response to wind forces to produce oscillations of said lens carrier, and means restricting the amplitude of said oscillations in the direction transverse to said plane thereby creating a flickering light reflection.

4. The warning signal device defined in claim 3, wherein said fin means includes a fin extending from said lens carrier at an angle :otherthan perpendicular to the plane of the lens carrier.

5. The warning signal device defined in claim 3, wherein said means forrestricting the amplitude of said oscillations includes stop means formed by said side members.

References Cited in the file of this patent "UNITED STATES ,PATENTS 909,507 Zubli Jan. ,12, 1909 1,089,003 Mayerle Mar. 3, 1914 1,208,622 Muller vDec. 12, 1916 1,708,028 Pancoast Apr. 9, 1929 2,084,855 Macaulay June 22, 1937 2,202,178 Welles May 28, 1940 2,,,6 31,395 Barker Mar. 17, 1953 2,67 9,370 Bolser May 25, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 6 83l Au al a -..-V-.-- 111116 12, 1952 

